This invention relates to an attachment structure for an antenna and an electronic apparatus.
Electronic apparatus such as, for example, information processing apparatus represented by personal computers of the type which are ready not only for wire communication but also for radio communication have been popularized in recent years.
For example, some of information processing apparatus such as personal computers have built therein a radio communication module for executing signal modulation/demodulation processes to allow radio communication and an antenna which functions as a radio communication interface. Radio communication of data is performed in such a manner that transmission data read out from a memory or the like are modulated suitably by the radio communication module and transmitted as radio waves from the antenna. On the other hand, radio reception of data is performed in such a manner that radio waves are received by the antenna and the reception data are demodulated suitably by the radio communication module and stored into the memory or the like.
The antenna which functions as a radio communication interface as described above is electrically connected to the radio communication module, for example, by a coaxial cable. A transmission/reception portion for transmitting and receiving radio waves is provided at an end portion of the coaxial cable.
In a conventional electronic apparatus, a recess is formed on an inner face of a case serving as a housing of the apparatus such as, for example, a case on which a display block (liquid crystal panel) is disposed, and the antenna is attached to the recess such that it is built in the case. The built-in antenna is disposed on the rear face side of the display block. One of such electronic apparatus as just described is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-258520 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1).
Incidentally, an antenna which functions as a radio communication interface is likely to receive a bad influence from a metal element positioned therearound, and there is the possibility that the frequency characteristic thereof may be varied. Accordingly, as regards the location of the antenna, it is necessary to exclude any metal member from within a fixed range centered at a transmission/reception portion of the antenna.
However, a display unit is usually attached to an attachment base made of a metal, and the display unit is disposed on the case such that the attachment base is secured to the case, which serves as a housing, by means of screws or the like. The attachment base is usually positioned in such a manner as to cover over the rear face and the side faces of the display unit.
Accordingly, where the antenna is attached to the inner face of the case serving as a housing and is disposed on the rear face side of the display unit as in the case of the conventional electronic apparatus, there is the possibility that two errors including an error in attachment of the antenna to the case and another error in attachment of the attachment base to the case may displace the distance between the antenna and the attachment base made of a metal from a designed distance between them, resulting in deterioration of the performance of the antenna.
If the distance between the antenna and the attachment base is designed with a sufficient margin taking the displacement of the distance by the two errors in attachment described above into consideration, then the thickness of the case increases as much. This obstructs miniaturization of the electronic apparatus.